Amanda Balmores
MA, LPC, LAC, ATR-BC
she, her, hers
ART Therapist
Executive Director
Co-founder
“I genuinely believe that it is my calling to assist youth in navigating their mental health struggles and reaching their potential to shine.”
About Amanda
Amanda is a warm-hearted and enthusiastic art therapist and substance abuse counselor at restART studio. Guided by client-centered and trauma-informed principles, Amanda recognizes that presenting behavioral challenges are often a result of experienced trauma and mental health struggles. She believes in collaborating with youth to find methods of self-expression that work best for them.
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Amanda is passionate about sharing the impact of art therapy having experienced the healing power of the practice firsthand. She believes that art can be a way to speak the unspeakable. Amanda’s goal as a therapist is to work alongside her clients as they become aware of their inner experiences, learn to express themselves, heal traumas, and recognize their individual strengths. She strives to help youth move through the shadow, embrace their authentic self, and learn to let their inner light shine.
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Amanda’s clinical experience primarily includes mental health and substance abuse counseling for at-risk adolescents and children with severe trauma. Amanda was motivated to serve the marginalized and justice-involved youth as she feels like art therapy is particularly well-suited to the challenges of reaching this population.
Amanda has a Master of Arts Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Transpersonal Art Therapy from Naropa University. She also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Alcohol and Drug Studies and a Bachelor of Science Degree in K-12 Art Education, both from Minnesota State University Mankato. Amanda is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Addiction Counselor (LAC) in Colorado, a Registered Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC), and a Licensed Substance Abuse Counselor (LADC) in Minnesota.
ArT Therapists
Art Therapist
Jessica Wasieleski
LPCC, ATR-P
she, her, hers
Jessica is an Art Therapist passionate in supporting teens and adults. From a client-directed, strength-based approach, she believes counseling is a collaborative experience. Jessica holds a non-biased space for healing as she supports your own therapeutic journey and utilizes mindfulness based practices, transpersonal and creative tools to enhance the process. She is especially passionate about supporting youth in their own unique expression.
"Through the language of art making, it is my honor to assist in processing difficult emotional states and integrating sustainable and empowering tools to utilize in your life. Your WHOLE self is welcome and valid in the therapeutic space and I recognize your courage in seeking help."
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"It is my goal to help you flourish in your life. I am a firm believer in your inner resilience and I am here to highlight these areas with you."
Art Therapist
Dakotah Cheyenne Acosta
MA, NLC, ATR-P
she, her, hers
Dakotah is a mindfulness-based art therapist with a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health and Transpersonal Art Therapy from Naropa University. She provides telehealth art therapy to adolescents, young adults, and parents—creating safe, nonjudgmental spaces where individuals can explore their emotions and experiences through art, mindfulness, and open dialogue.
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Through her integrative approach, Dakotah uses creativity and mindfulness practices to help clients build self-awareness, emotional resilience, and coping skills. She offers a compassionate and thoughtful environment where clients can reflect on their challenges and develop practical tools for healing and growth.
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Dakotah’s work is centered around fostering deeper understanding and a kinder perspective on life’s complexities, empowering clients to graciously move forward in a way that aligns with their values and personal goals.
Board of directors
KRISTA MARKS
CO-Founder &
Chair
Krista is an engineer and serial entrepreneur with a deep passion for leveraging technology to build genuine value. During her career, she has had the privilege of leading technology startups and developing software and hardware solutions that not only deliver value but also delight the users they aim to serve.
In 2021, Amanda and Krista decided to create restART studio for deeply personal reasons. As a young adult, Krista had a family member that served 4 years in a Georgia state prison. During this time, she traveled regularly to visit, sent care packages, and provided money for their canteen account. For holidays, Krista and her husband would stay in the small, rural town close to the facility so that they could celebrate together in a sparsely furnished visitor room.
As hard as this experience was, it was significantly more support than most inmates received, a group disproportionately poor and people of color. It was starkly apparent that for most of the inmates, the odds had been stacked against them from the day they were born. Krista was profoundly affected by seeing this reality firsthand. Since that time, she has sought ways to support this vulnerable population, and she always knew that someday she wanted to find a way to do more.
When Krista met Amanda, it was clear that art therapy offered a window to do just that. Specifically to help youth have the confidence and psychological strength they need to start a new path—a program that could succeed where talk therapy often fails.
Amanda and Krista realized that together they could build a program to help underserved and underprivileged youth avoid a road that leads to prison—they could help them have the skills they need to flourish. The result was restART studio, a program designed to leverage the power of art therapy to help justice-involved youth have the strength and skills they need to seek a new path.
she, her, hers
Tom is a serial entrepreneur and engineer that brings over 20 years of experience delivering award-winning products to market. Tom currently serves as VP of Technical Operations at Saga Education, a leading educational and technology non-profit. Tom and his co-founders have successfully started and sold two companies in the education sector, Woot Math (to Saga) and Kerpoof (acquired by Disney). Tom received an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Colorado, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines. Tom has been issued eighteen U.S. patents and serves on the Board of Directors for restART studio and the Advisory Board for the CSM EE and CS Department.
Tom Fischaber
he, him, his
Board Secretary
& Treasurer
Cindy is a licensed professional counselor and a board-certified art therapist in private practice in Longmont, CO.. She works with adults facing a variety of challenges including trauma, grief, climate grief, body image, anxiety, and life transitions. She also has a special interest working with people with cancer and conducts art therapy workshops at the Rocky Mountain Cancer Center. In addition, Cindy has a certification in Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy, and works with animals in therapy which, she believes, fosters the healing and growing process.
Cindy Gordon
PhD, LPC, ATR-BC, CAAP
she, her, hers
Board Member
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Alexis has built a twenty-five year career working in the public sector - for government and non-profit organizations in the fields of education, healthcare, the environment, and public policy advocacy. She has focused her career on program planning and evaluation, grant proposal development and writing, fundraising, strategic planning, and Board development. Alexis has raised more than $70 million for a variety of programs and projects, and prefers working with organizations that center equity in their work. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a Master of Public Administration degree, both from the University of Oklahoma, and currently serves as the Senior Director of Grants and Advancement at Saga Education.
Alexis Carter-Black
she, her, hers
BOARD MEMBER
Lisa is a native Minnesotan who started a second career after being in the financial industry for about 30 years. As an eight-year entrepreneur, she now works alongside seniors and their families as they navigate the overwhelming process of downsizing and moving. Her empathetic nature helps her to be more than an average resource for her clients. Lisa has had an interest in the benefits of Art Therapy ever since she realized that her young children were able to work through their feelings on paper even when they couldn’t verbally communicate what they were feeling. Her role as advisor on restART studio’s Board helps her feel connected to the work that made such a difference in her family’s life.
Lisa Bevens
she, her, hers
BOARD Advisor